Read Online His Unexpected Lover (The Thorpe Brothers) by Elizabeth Lennox - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Elizabeth Lennox
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say a word, just waited angrily for him to agree to her demand.
“Fine!” he relented, recognizing the stubbornness that made her such a good lawyer. He bent down and picked up a bat. “Stand with your feet apart, bracing just so. Don’t choke the bat. Keep your hands like this,” he said and showed her how to hold the aluminum bat.
Kiera’s irritation grew exponentially as he patronized her. Grabbing the bat, she flipped it around easily so she was holding it at the grip end. Then she poked him in the middle of the chest with the other end. “Back off, buddy!” she snapped. “Just stand there and watch.”
There were several yelps from the other team and from the rest of the crowd who had shown up to watch. She didn’t look back to gauge Axel’s reaction to her prodding but took up her position at home base and signaled to the pitcher that she was ready.
The pitcher, another lawyer in Ryker’s group, nodded his head and smiled, thinking this was going to be an easy out. Kiera didn’t mind. Let them assume the worst. It would just lower their guard and she’d be able to show them more easily that she wasn’t some hothouse flower that needed to be coddled. She hadn’t joined the team just to show up and warm the bench. She was a good player, darn him!
She watched carefully, painfully aware of Axel standing right behind her and the length of her shorts. She was pretty sure he was watching her butt instead of her stance, but she pushed that thought out of her mind. She was on a mission and she wasn’t going to let his lascivious thoughts impair her….
“Strike one!” the referee called out behind her.
Kiera blinked and looked around. When had the pitcher thrown the ball?
Shoot! Focus girl, she told herself firmly.
She was just about to take up her position again but Axel called a time out.
She turned around and looked at him, silently questioning why he’d stopped the game.
He walked over to her and leaned down. “Just take your time. Watch the ball and when it passes over that point,” he explained, pointing to a space a few feet out from home base, “Start your swing. Okay?”
Kiera shook her head. “Axel, I really can do this.”
He smiled slightly and she had a moment of panic when it looked like he was going to bend down and kiss her. “I know, honey. Just…” he was at a loss for words and she felt her knees melting with his endearment.
“I promise I know what I’m doing, Axel, ” she shook her head, saying that more to herself than to him. “Just stand back,” she said, looking up at him, almost pleading with him through her eyes that he couldn’t see because of her sunglasses. “I can do this. I promise. Have a little faith.”
Axel’s jaw tightened and he hesitated for only a moment. “Fine,” he said and stepped back again.
Axel watched as she stepped back into position and signaled to the pitcher to go ahead. His whole body was tense and worried. He didn’t want her to be embarrassed by another strike but…. “Strike two!” the referee called out again.
He bit the inside of his mouth, wishing he’d never put her into the game. It had nothing to do with winning even though they were down by three points and they had three players on base. This was all about making sure she wasn’t hurt. The teasing in the office tomorrow could be brutal!
He tried hard to focus on the pitcher, wishing he could give Kiera some sort of signal on when to swing, but he couldn’t look at her. His eyes weren’t paying attention to the pitcher or even the ball. Not with her adorable, round butt poking back at him.
And then he heard the thwack! He swung back to see what had happened and sure enough, the softball was flying through the air! It wasn’t just flying either, it was arching way out and several outfielders on the opposing team were racing to try and intersect with the
“Fine!” he relented, recognizing the stubbornness that made her such a good lawyer. He bent down and picked up a bat. “Stand with your feet apart, bracing just so. Don’t choke the bat. Keep your hands like this,” he said and showed her how to hold the aluminum bat.
Kiera’s irritation grew exponentially as he patronized her. Grabbing the bat, she flipped it around easily so she was holding it at the grip end. Then she poked him in the middle of the chest with the other end. “Back off, buddy!” she snapped. “Just stand there and watch.”
There were several yelps from the other team and from the rest of the crowd who had shown up to watch. She didn’t look back to gauge Axel’s reaction to her prodding but took up her position at home base and signaled to the pitcher that she was ready.
The pitcher, another lawyer in Ryker’s group, nodded his head and smiled, thinking this was going to be an easy out. Kiera didn’t mind. Let them assume the worst. It would just lower their guard and she’d be able to show them more easily that she wasn’t some hothouse flower that needed to be coddled. She hadn’t joined the team just to show up and warm the bench. She was a good player, darn him!
She watched carefully, painfully aware of Axel standing right behind her and the length of her shorts. She was pretty sure he was watching her butt instead of her stance, but she pushed that thought out of her mind. She was on a mission and she wasn’t going to let his lascivious thoughts impair her….
“Strike one!” the referee called out behind her.
Kiera blinked and looked around. When had the pitcher thrown the ball?
Shoot! Focus girl, she told herself firmly.
She was just about to take up her position again but Axel called a time out.
She turned around and looked at him, silently questioning why he’d stopped the game.
He walked over to her and leaned down. “Just take your time. Watch the ball and when it passes over that point,” he explained, pointing to a space a few feet out from home base, “Start your swing. Okay?”
Kiera shook her head. “Axel, I really can do this.”
He smiled slightly and she had a moment of panic when it looked like he was going to bend down and kiss her. “I know, honey. Just…” he was at a loss for words and she felt her knees melting with his endearment.
“I promise I know what I’m doing, Axel, ” she shook her head, saying that more to herself than to him. “Just stand back,” she said, looking up at him, almost pleading with him through her eyes that he couldn’t see because of her sunglasses. “I can do this. I promise. Have a little faith.”
Axel’s jaw tightened and he hesitated for only a moment. “Fine,” he said and stepped back again.
Axel watched as she stepped back into position and signaled to the pitcher to go ahead. His whole body was tense and worried. He didn’t want her to be embarrassed by another strike but…. “Strike two!” the referee called out again.
He bit the inside of his mouth, wishing he’d never put her into the game. It had nothing to do with winning even though they were down by three points and they had three players on base. This was all about making sure she wasn’t hurt. The teasing in the office tomorrow could be brutal!
He tried hard to focus on the pitcher, wishing he could give Kiera some sort of signal on when to swing, but he couldn’t look at her. His eyes weren’t paying attention to the pitcher or even the ball. Not with her adorable, round butt poking back at him.
And then he heard the thwack! He swung back to see what had happened and sure enough, the softball was flying through the air! It wasn’t just flying either, it was arching way out and several outfielders on the opposing team were racing to try and intersect with the
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